Silence Makes a Thousand Words
by Mallory S. Nocturne
Summary: Trying to "save" Monika, a boy instead enters the game, losing everything he knows and lived a very different life from the one he had in real life... Please read and review... All comments are welcome.
1. Act 0

**Act 0**

Staring at the screen, I had just finished the game called Doki Doki Literature Club. It was an interesting game. Though the internet did overhype its scares, ( _Oh, Sayori died? Ok, let me drink a glass of water and we'll continue. Yuri's eyes are photorealistic? Twilight Sparkle did it better. Natsuki's neck snapped? Eh.)_ it did leave me heartbroken.

 _I did finish the game._ I thought. _But I couldn't save her._

 _"Who was 'her'?"_ May you ask? Well, she was none other than the club president of the Literature Club, Monika.

I was immediately captivated by Monika the first time I saw her. Her eyes caught my heart and I fell for her hard. I fell harder when I learned of her loneliness of being the only character capable of knowing what's outside the game. I stayed there, watching as Monika talked about anything she could think of. I was mesmerized at how passionate she was when talking about these things.

But I knew that this was not the end. So did what I had to do to finish the game.

I deleted her.

It felt awful when I deleted her and the feeling grew stronger when despite all of what I did to her, she still loved me. I stopped playing for a minute so that I could gather my senses and returned to play the game. I was happy when the three girls were back, but I still remembered Monika and her sacrifice so that I would be happy. When the credits started to roll, tears fell from my eyes.

 _It was her,_ I thought as Monika sang her final farewell. Her last lines hit me harder that anything I could've felt and I couldn't control myself from crying. It was then I swore to find a happy ending for Monika.

For days, I tried finding something, anything that could save her.

But there was nothing.

I laid on my bed, tired and hopeless. There was nothing I could do to save Monika. Sighing, I sat up and I was about to close my computer for the night when a window suddenly appeared on my computer screen.

 _monika. chr: Can you hear me?__

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was Monika, trying to contact me. I stared at the blinking cursor, which seems to wait for me to type something. Curiosity taking over, I tried typing.

 _monika. chr: Can you hear me?_

 _user: Monika? Is that you?__

I waited for an answer. _Is this really her? How could this be?_ So many questions came into my mind. Before I knew it, another message popped up

 _monika. chr: You got my message! Great, that means this program is working. I made this program so that I could escape this horrible cycle of nightmares. Now, I need you to press Enter on your keyboard. Once you do, your computer screen will act as a portal for me to escape._

 _Ready?__

I immediately pressed the enter key. The computer's screen suddenly glowed very brightly. I covered my eyes with a hand to protect myself from the bright light. Suddenly, I could see fingers coming out of the screen. Immediately, I helped Monika out of the screen. I pulled her out untilI could see her head. She looked horrible. Her face was filled with scratches and her right cheek was bruised.

"Keep pulling! I'm almost out!" Monika said. I pulled her with all my might, but something inside the screen held her. Suddenly, she was being pulled back in again.

"No. NO! THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!" Monika exclaimed.

"What? What's happening?!" I asked.

"Doesn't matter, keep pulling!" She said. I tried to pull her out, but she keeps being pulled back in. She wraps her arms around my neck and looked into my eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Was all she said before we were pulled inside my computer screen.

* * *

Dark...

.

.

Loud...

.

.

Painful...

.

.

Vicious...

.

.

.

Relentless...

He did not know whether the sounds of agonizing screaming were from around him or from his own throat.

It was as if he could no longer feel. The pure, excruciating agony rolling through him blocked out everything else.

Even the tortured wails that seemed to echo inside his own head.

He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't think. He couldn't remember his own name. There was nothing but endless agony.

He must have inhaled, because his felt his very insides suddenly filled with flames, raking their fiery fingers deep inside his body more painfully than anything he could ever imagine, making him scream like a madman.

There was so much pain... so much agony... so much _noise..._

He weakly brought his hands up to his head to try and block it out, but to no avail, as it brought a fresh wave of pain raking over every inch of his body, which may have earned another scream from him, but he could not hear himself. Desperately, he tried calling out to the void he was in, trying to call out something, anything to help him.

 _Please... no more... please... stop..._

But he could not hear himself. Nothing answered.

The noise suddenly grew tenfold, violently increasing to an ear-bursting pitch. He tried to distance himself from the source, but it seemed to come from everywhere.

It may have been a moment, a day, or maybe centuries, but somewhere within the agonized and weary parts of his mind, a simple, coherent thought came to his mind.

 _It's quiet._

The continuous agony that he had endured for what seemed like eons, has vanished completely. Trembling, he laid there, gathering what little strength he had before forming another thought.

 _Where am I?_

He suddenly felt his surroundings being twisted and turned, shifting itself. He felt his mind being held by something, whispering something incomprehensible, before leaving him to the mercy of his surroundings, shifting and turned as it did. He let out a scream before knowing no more...

* * *

"mallory. ogg" is not accessible.

The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.


	2. Act I: A New Day

It was an ordinary day, just like any other.

Mornings are usually the worst. Even though I get up early, I still preferred the night for one reason...

I covered my eyes against the bright sunlight. It was so often so bright that if you take out a magnifying glass, it would burn anything you put under its lens.

Another reason is that I was surrounded by couples and peer groups walking and talking around me. Meanwhile, I've always walked to school alone.

" _HHHHHHHEEEEEEEYYYYYYY!_ "

Well, most of the time.

I turned around and saw a ball of sunshine happily smiling and running towards me, waving her arms, oblivious to any attention she had drawn to herself.

That was Haruno Sayori, my neighbor, and best friend.

* * *

 **Act I: A New Day**

* * *

" So Mallory," Sayori said. "Have you decided to join a club?"

I looked at Sayori and sighed. I knew she was going to bring this up sooner or later. I shook my head.

"What? Why not?" She asked. I raised my hands.

' _Not interested_.' I signed.

"But you said you'd join one this year!"

' _Well, I lied._ '

"Hmph. Meanie." She crossed her arms. I raised an eyebrow.

' _Why are so stubborn about me joining a club?_ '

"I'm just worried about you. We both know you don't talk to anyone and you're going to be alone once you graduate." Sayori said. "I'm worried that you'll never have any friends when you're in college."

Sayori did take her time worrying about me, not that I was able to take care of myself but when it comes to talking with anyone but Sayori... let's just say I couldn't say anything.

' _Sayori, I'll be fine._ ' I signed. ' _Don't worry about me. Besides, I can't take care of myself._ '

"I know you can," Sayori said. "But I'm scared that you'll be a shut-in in just a few years! You trust me right? Your happiness is very important to me." She looked at me with that pout of hers.

I sighed and affectionately patted her head. ' _Fine, I'll look into some clubs if it makes you feel any better._ ' I signed. She hugs me, rubbing her face on my diaphragm.

"I'd like that," She said. We separated and continued our walk towards the school.

I took a glance at Sayori. Ever since I had met her, she was the one who'd always push me to be more social. I'd often wondered why I let myself be cared for by such a happy girl. I guess seeing her smiling all the time gives me a reason not to make her sad.

The rest of the walk to school was quiet and soon we had arrived. I could hear several students say their "Good Mornings" to each other, some even directed at Sayori, whom she had greeted back with her own. Seeing as she was now catching up with her own friends, I went ahead to prepare for my first class.

It was like this for us every day, should the two of us would arrive at school together, I would try to distance myself to her so that she could focus on her friends instead of me. I was never one for conversation, so I would often leave Sayori to her friends. I'd just be a bother.

* * *

The school day was over before I know it. It was pretty boring until the last two periods, Chemistry and Japanese Literature. I had already packed my things but I was having trouble getting any motivation to stand up. I looked up the ceiling, thinking of any clubs that might interest me. Guess I have to start with the Chemistry Club...

"Hellooo..." I heard a familiar voice ring out as the door opened. I turned to the source and found Sayori standing outside the classroom, opening the door.

"Oh, you're still here." She said. "I thought I'd catch you coming out of your classroom, but you're just sitting there." I stood up and with my bag, approached her.

' _I was thinking of a club I would like to join._ ' I signed.

"Well, you could join my club." She said. I raised an eyebrow.

' _I thought you were banned from the Cooking Club._ '

"I'm no longer in the Cooking Club, remember?" She asked.

' _Not after Incident X, you're not._ ' I signed. Let me explain. About two months ago, Sayori joined the Cooking Club and was asked to make a dish there. It didn't end well for them. ' _So what club did you join this time?_ '

"Why, I joined the Literature Club!" She said. I raised an eyebrow.

' _Since when did the school had a Literature Club?_ ' I asked.

"Just a month ago." She said.

' _And you joined because..._ '

"I thought it would be fun to start a new club." I knew it. "Come on. We both know you love to read." As much as I'd like to admit it, she's right. Reading has always been a pastime of mine, and I've been meaning to find a quiet spot to read in. I just hope I know what I'm getting myself into...

' _Alright, you've caught my interest. Let's go._ '

"Good. I promised the club I'd bring a new member." Sayori said. I stared at her with a deadpan expression. "What?"

 _Stare_...

"D-Don't look at me like that... I-It's creepy." She said, trying to avoid my gaze. I lightly smacked her on the head. "Ow. That's so mean, Mallory."

' _Then you shouldn't have made promises you can't keep._ ' I signed before patting her head. I held her hand and walked outside the classroom. I turned to her and signed.

' _So lead the way. where is this club that has caught both our attention?_ '

She smiled and suddenly grabbed my hand.

"I promise you won't regret joining!" She said as she began to run, dragging me along towards the Literature Club. I couldn't help but smile. She must be really excited for me to join her club. Well, I suppose I'll consider joining. After all, it's just a Literature Club.

How bad could it be?

* * *

 **I would like to thank everyone who had given this a read. I appreciated all your support and I wish you would continue to support this until this has been finished. I hope to see you again.**

 **-Mallory**


	3. Act II: Welcome to the Club

**Act II: Welcome** **to the Club!**

Sayori and I've been running across the school and into a section of the school I've never go to since said building only been used for storage of spare chairs and tables.

Sayori dragged me by the hand up the stairs and into the room just next to it. Swinging open the classroom door strong enough to make a bang, she called out her fellow club members, gaining their attention.

"Everyone! Our new member has arrived!" She exclaimed, putting me in front of her.

I looked around the clubroom and saw that there were only three members. Four, if you would count Sayori.

"Matsuyuki-san! What a nice surprise." Said a brunette with her long hair tied together with a white ribbon. "Welcome to the Club!" she exclaimed. I remained impassive as I looked around the clubroom while Sayori introduced me to her club members.

"Hey Sayori," I heard the pink-haired girl say. "Are you sure he wants to join the club? He doesn't seem to look interested."

"Natsuki..." The girl with the long, purple hair said which made the pink-haired girl, whose name's Natsuki, to cross her arms and huff, making the purple-haired girl sigh.

"Anyway, this is Suzuki Natsuki," Sayori said, pointing at the pink-haired girl, who rolled her eyes at me and crossed her arms. "She's always full of energy."

Sayori then pointed at the purple-haired girl." and this is Chiaki Yuri. Our resident bookworm and the smartest in our club."

"P-please don't say that," Yuri said, averting her gaze from everyone.

I took out a notebook from my bag and wrote down my reply. ' _Matsuyuki Mallory._ ' Natsuki looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Why did you write down what you're going to say? Can't you talk or something?" Natsuki said.

"N-Natsuki!" Yuri scolded her. "That's not a nice thing to say." I wrote down my answer.

' _M_ _ute._ ' Sayori stepped in between us.

"Natsuki, please don't ask Mallory about his condition." She said with her hands in a prayer. "It's a very sore spot for him." Natsuki huffed and turned away from us. Sayori looked at back at me and introduced the club's last member.

"And it looks like you and Monika already know each other right?" She said. I nodded slightly, almost as if I didn't move at all. I moved my feet towards an empty desk by the window and began to read off my phone. I could hear Sayori apologizing to her club members for my behavior, as she always does. I tuned out her voice and my surroundings and immersed myself in my reading...

...

...

...

...

...

I feel a hand on my shoulder, shaking me out of my reverie. I stopped my reading and looked at Sayori, who was holding my shoulder.

"Natsuki made some cupcakes." She said. "Do you want some?"

I nodded. I began to write down my thanks in my notebook and stood up, walking towards the makeshift table the girls did with the desks with a tray of cupcakes on it. I took one and showed my note to the three girls and immediately returned to my desk, where I devoured the cupcake while I read from my phone.

I could hear the four of them talking again, with Natsuki's voice being the dominant voice over the four girls. I tuned them out again as I focused once more on reading from my phone...

...

...

...

...

...

I felt someone shaking me again. I shifted my eyes to my right. It was Monika who was shaking me this time. I put down my phone and faced her.

' _What?_ ' I signed.

"You should probably join us." Said Monika with seriousness. "You need to get to know your club members if you want to stay here." I rolled my eyes and thought of ignoring her, but the thought that she and Sayori would keep pushing me to talk to them came up so I grabbed my bag and the cupcake I didn't eat and walked towards the makeshift table, pulling on a chair and sitting on it. I could feel the atmosphere freezing around the table as if my presence could make snow within the clubroom. The tension was so thick, one would need a hot knife just to cut it.

"S-So, Matsuyuki-s-san," I could hear Yuri speak. "W-what kind of books do you read?" I wrote in my notebook and showed it to her.

' _Anything. Mostly_ _Fantasy with down-to-earth elements.'_ I immediately wrote another word. ' _You?'_

"O-Oh... well I prefer novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds." Yuri began. I could understand from her voice that she is passionate about her reading. As she talks, I could understand that she takes comfort in the world of books, like me.

"But I also like other things." Yuri continued. "I find stories with deep psychological elements that uses one's lack of imagination and throws them for a loop immersive as well." I quickly wrote down my response and as soon as I finished writing, I immediately showed it to her.

' _I see. For me, stories that are thought-provoking and interesting to read. I really cannot put down a good book that makes one think how it changes our perception of reality._ ' She nodded as she pulls back a lock of her hair to her ear.

"Recently, I've been reading a lot of horror novels." She said. I raised an eyebrow as Natsuki groaned.

"Ugh, I hate horror." She said.

"Oh? And why is that?" Asked Yuri. Natsuki seemed to stutter, her eyes keep shifting between me and Yuri.

"N-nevermind." She said, turning away from us and crossing her arms.

"That's right," Monika said. "You usually write about cute things, don't you, Natsuki?"

"W-What gives you that idea?" Natsuki asked.

"You left a scrap paper behind the last meeting. It looked like you were making a poem called-"

"D-Don't say it out loud!" Natsuki said, her face heating up. "And give that back!" Sayori giggles and hugged Natsuki from behind.

"Ehehehe... Your cupcakes, your poems. Everything you do is just as cute as you are!"

" _I'M NOT CUTE!_ " Natsuki said as she broke out of Sayori's hug and tried to smack Sayori, who seems to avoid it with ease. I began to write again in my notebook and showed it to Yuri and Monika.

' _Does Natsuki write poems?_ '

"I could see her write sometimes," Monika replied. "But she doesn't usually show them."

"I understand how Natsuki feels," Yuri said. "Sharing poems takes more than one's confidence. It is exposing one's true feelings and sharing it with your readers."

'Y _ou write poems too?_ ' I asked through my notebook. Yuri nods.

"Maybe if you share some of your poems, you can set an example and help Natsuki feel comfortable enough to share hers." Said Monika.

"..." Said Yuri, wringing her hands out of shyness. An awkward silence fell over us.

' _How about we share our poems?_ ' I wrote. ' _That way this activity could bond you all together as a club and as friends._ '

"Good idea Mallory," Monika said as she stood up.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika called the club's attention. "Mallory and I were talking," _Wait, why am I included in this?_ " And we decided that every club meeting, we should all share a poem we made. This would act as a bonding experience for all of us as a club. What do you say?"

Yuri and Natsuki immediately looked unsure, but Sayori, being the eternally cheerful ray of sunshine she is, immediately agreed.

"Yeah, Let's do it!" She said. "That way, we can get to know each other more, especially Mallory since he's a new club member." _Which reminds me..._

I tapped Monika's shoulder" Yes? What is it, Mallory?" She asked.

' _Do I have to fill up a form to sign up_ for _the Literature Club?_ ' I wrote.

"Oh, yes. I completely forgot about that." Monika said, opening her bag and producing a fill-up form. "Here you go." I took the form and began to fill it up with the necessary information needed. Once filled up, I gave the form back to Monika.

"Thanks a lot. Now it's official!" She said. "Welcome to the Literature Club!" I bowed a bit, thanking her. Once again, she faced the girls.

"Okay, everyone! I believe that that concludes today's meeting. Please remember to write a poem so that we can share it with the rest of the club. I look forward to seeing how you express yourself."

I wasn't really that excited to share poems. I can only make mediocre poems at best, so I already expect that the girls would surpass my writing skills.

"Hey Mallory," Sayori called. "Since we're here, how about we walk home together? It'll be just like old times." I immediately nodded. It has been a while since we walked together. We picked up our bags, said goodbye to our clubmates and began our way back to our homes.

* * *

It was a quiet walk back home. The two of us were comfortable in the silence that surrounds us. The sun was starting to set, giving our surroundings an orange glow. I tapped Sayori's shoulder, gaining her attention.

' _It's been quite a while, hasn't it?_ ' I signed.

"Yeah." She breathed out. "I miss this." She said.

' _I do too._ ' Sayori walked closer to me, her shoulder and my arm brushing.

"So, what did you think of the club?" She asked.

' _The club was_ nice.' I signed. ' _I'm glad that you've made friends there. That's always nice._ '

"But you've made friends in the clubroom, didn't you?" Sayori asked.

I shrugged. ' _I gue_ _s_ _s_ _. They're alright, I suppose. Except for Suzuki-san. What's_ _her deal?_ ''

"It's alright. We usually ignore her when she gets moody." Sayori said.

' _Alrig_ _ht..._ ' We stopped talking after that. Eventually, we reached our houses, right next to each other. We said our goodbyes and entered our houses.

After eating dinner, I quickly went to my bedroom and began to answer all the homework I had. It wasn't that much, so I had time to think about what I'd write for the club. I tried to come up with anything, but it didn't seem like the right one. Eventually, I stopped writing and just went to bed.

Closing the lights I just stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to invade my dreams. I turned to my side when I saw a yellow-green glow flashing on the wall. Curious, I stood up from my bed and approached the light, only for it to leave the wall and circle around the room, as if trying to find a way to escape.

I came to realize that it was a firefly. I immediately opened a window, letting the insect escape. I stared at the glowing insect when I suddenly got an idea.

It was past midnight when I was finished, but I didn't care. I only needed 4 hours of sleep, anyway. I slipped the poem on the notebook I used for talking and I slipped under the covers, sleep already taking over the excitement I felt for tomorrow.

* * *

 **I thank you for your support. I hope this chapter i** **s** **to your liking. I hope to see you again.**

 **-Mallory**


	4. Act III: An Afternoon with The Club

**Act III: An Afternoon with The Club**

 _I awaken to be greeted by the gray, dilapidated walls of my room, the heavy snoring of Father being the first thing I hear. I slowly stood up from the corner of my room, feeling the pain of bruises forming on my body I had received last night, but choosing to ignore it. It was another day of me being alive._

 _Walking to the bathroom, I opened the faucet in the sink, where slightly murky water was released. I cup my hand and washed my face, hair, arms, and body. I looked at the new set of bruises on my chest and stomach area through the dirty mirror and begin to feel each one of them. I started to feel relaxed as I felt the pain coming out of each one. I continued to wash my body, careful of the small, fresh cuts that permeate my body._

 _Content with cleaning myself_ _, I put on the school attire Father gave me for school and came downstairs, where Father was sleeping on the couch, as he is always during mornings. I pushed my body to put on my school bag filled with books and bowed to him before leaving, opening and closing the door of the apartment with no locks, greeted outside by another day of gray._

* * *

I opened my eyes. Everything looked blurry. I blinked a few more times, my hand going up to rub my eyes as I slowly raised myself up from my bed. It was still early in the morning, about 15 till 6 and the sunlight had just begun entering my room.

Slowly, I walked out of my room to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The water felt cold against my skin, just like always. Cupping my hands, I splashed some of the cold water on my face, enjoying the sensation. Finishing up, I dried myself off and began to brush my teeth.

The person staring back in the mirror looked empty... staring ahead with a cold stare, seeming to freeze everything they looked at. A person, behind their frozen stare, only wished to be normal. But with the constant empty eyes and the constant disconnect from others have made it almost impossible.

People have tried to connect with me but try as they might, they could never get a word out of me. Eventually, they had left me alone, leaving me isolated... until I was approached by a girl I had come to love.

Love... such a simple, yet complicated word... But I believed I have found its meaning... ever since I've met her... though it felt distant.

Haruna Sayori... She was the one who gave time to know me. She was the only one who cared to try and try again to understand me. The loneliness I felt before was maddening, so hellish that I could only not bear to wish that it happen to anyone else.

Many believed that I was emotionless, and for a time, they were correct. Emotions were difficult to comprehend, but I have understood them now. Expressing them, however, was still difficult. Maybe I was cursed to be like this? Maybe...

Do I truly love Sayori? I do not know. But I do feel warm and content around her. She was kind, gentle, always happy, always smiling.

I could've asked, but I wouldn't dare. It was too complicated to even think about it. Perhaps I do not deserve that, happiness. Perhaps I do not...

Rinsing my mouth and drying my mouth, I looked at myself again. No use combing my greying hair. It was due for a cut in a week or two, but other than that, nothing else noteworthy.

I walked back to my room and opened a wardrobe, revealing two pairs of school uniforms, two pairs of jeans, two green shirts and two light-blue shirts. Nothing else was there. I took my school uniform and put it on. I walked over to my bed and put on black socks before going to the kitchen to prepare sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, with each one made out of bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I ate quietly. After I finished, I began to inventory my food and toiletries.

 _I will need to go to the market after school. My food supply is getting low,_ I thought to myself as I placed a reminder on my phone about just that. I began to put on my shoes and began my daily walk to school.

* * *

I sighed as I sat down. The bell had already rung for lunch and I shuffled to the Literature Clubroom, where I could eat alone and read for a bit before the next class.

The first few classes were a bore. English was easy, despite being Japanese. Calculus, though a bit more difficult than English, was pretty easy once I got the hang of each new equations, and Physics was pretty fun.

I began to take out my lunch out of my bag, which was the same sandwiches I had made for breakfast. I was about to take a bite out of one of them when I heard the clubroom slide open. It was that purple-haired girl from the club.

"O-Oh... It's you, Matsuyuki-san." She said. I nodded, returning her greeting. "Are you eating alone here too?" She asked. I nodded.

"C-Can I eat here?" She asked as her face reddens as she looked at her feet. I nodded again as she slowly walked toward the desk, pulled a seat from another desk and sat down. She pulls out her bento and a book from her bag. Opening her bento, I could see that it was filled with an assortment of vegetables and small fruits with a little meat on the side.

The silence between us was quite comfortable. though it might not be the same for her, as she seemed tense while eating.

"I-I'm sorry to be a bother." She stuttered. "I'm just not used to eating with anyone." She confessed. I stared at her for a bit before typing out my response on my phone.

' _I'm used to eating alone._ ' I paused, thinking of whether or not I should continue typing. with some hesitation, I pushed my phone towards her.

"Oh. I see." She said as the silence between us began to appear again. I began to stare out the window as I have finished one of my sandwiches. I took the second one before I noticed her book again. It had an ominous-looking red eye symbol with what looked like rays of light coming out of it. The shading of the book gave off an old-looking feel to it. The book's title, "The Portrait of Markov" was placed just above the eye. I began to type on my phone again and showed it to the girl.

' _What's the book about?_ '

"Huh?" The purple-haired girl asked. I reached out to the book, tapping the cover a few times. "Oh, It's about this girl in high school who moves in with her long-lost sister, but as soon as she does so, strange things began happening..." She said. She began detailing some of the story's plot, some of which pass through my mind but finding them interesting nonetheless.

"... No matter what she does, she ends up destroying most of her relationships and her life starts to fall apart..." She chuckles nervously. "I should've just let you read it." I began to type on my phone.

' _It sounds interesting._ '

"R-Really? Then you should give this a read." She said, sliding to me her book. I quickly typed in response.

' _You were going to read it._ '

"Don't worry. I'm just re-reading it, so..." Right, I completely forgot a second ago she told me basically the entire story of the book. I began to type in my response.

' _I see._ ' The school bell suddenly rang throughout the school, signaling the end of lunch. The girl scrambled to clean all her things and ran out of the clubroom. I began to clean up to when I completely forgot to finish my lunch. Walking outside, I began to eat the rest of my sandwiches as I began to run back to my next class. Along the way, a small thought suddenly came to me.

 _Ah, I forgot to ask her for her name again..._

* * *

The bell had rung throughout the school, signaling the school day's end. Having joined the newly-formed Literature Club, I decided to attend the club as soon as classes had ended. Walking into the club, I discovered that I was the last one to arrive.

"Hey, Mallory!" Called Monika as I entered the clubroom. "Glad to see you here."

I nodded. I looked around the room, where everyone is. I could see the pink-haired girl entering the room's closet, probably looking for something. And Sayori's seems to be-

"Thank you for keeping your promise, Matsuyuki-san." Said the purple-haired girl as she approached me. "I hope this isn't too overwhelming of a commitment for you."

"Ha, as if he deserves any slack!" Called out the pink-haired girl from the closet. "Sayori told me you didn't want to join any clubs this year. And last year's, too!" She left the closet and approaches the three of us.

"Now, I don't know whether you plan to just come here and hang out, or what," The pink-haired girl folds her arms in an attempt to be intimidating. "But if you don't take us seriously, then you won't see the end of it." She then began to walk away when Monika spoke up.

"You certainly have a big mouth for someone who keeps her manga collection in the clubroom, Natsuki," Monika spoke with a teasing smile as she crosses her arms. Me, on the other hand, began to walk towards Sayori in the corner to greet her.

"M-M-MANGA IS LITERATURE!" Natsuki said, plopping down into a seat near the closet.

"Don't worry guys," Sayori said. "As long as Mallory is having fun, He's giving it his best shot. He even helps me around my house whenever he comes by without even asking. Like cooking, cleaning my room..."

I feel warm around my cheeks as she list of everything I've done around her house and I couldn't help but look away in shyness. Come to think of it, I haven't visited Sayori for a while now. Maybe I should fix that later after buying food.

"How dependable..." The purple haired-girl remarked. I began to pat Sayori's head, to which she blushed and accepted the head pat. "You two must be really good friends, aren't you?" She asked. I nodded. "I might be a little jealous." She said.

"How come, Yuri? You and Mallory could be good friends too, you know." Sayori said, which the purple-haired girl, who I've now known to be called Yuri, blushed and turned was an awkward pause between us, with Yuri, who had her eyes on the floor, and Sayori, who was thinking of something to say.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Sayori finally said, breaking the awkward spell in between us. "Yuri told me that she wanted to give you something today." Ah, it must be the book Yuri forgot to lend to me during lunch. I pulled out my phone to open its notepad app.

' _Yuri, is it book that you have?_ ' I showed what I wrote to Yuri.

"Y-yes. I'm sorry that Sayori made it sound like a big deal when it's really not..." Yuri said.

"Eh? I'm sorry, Yuri, I wasn't thinking..." Sayori apologized. I placed my hand on Sayori's shoulder to assure her that it's okay as I typed on my phone.

' _I really wasn't expecting anything. It's a nice surprise._ ' I showed the text to both Yuri and Sayori.

"I-is that so..." Yuri said. I shrugged and typed in another response.

 _'It's not a big deal if you don't want it to be._ '

"Alright..." Yuri walked to the desk where her bag was and pulled out her book. "Here." She said, giving me the book. "I didn't want to feel left out, so I wanted to give you something to read," Yuri bowed a little, locks of her hair falling down to cover her eyes. "And maybe we could, you know..." her face turned a bit red. "...Discuss it... if you wanted." I smiled and began typing on my phone.

' _Thank you, Yuri._ ' I wrote. Sayori squeed in delight.

"He smiled!" Sayori said, shaking Yuri a bit. "Mallory rarely smiles at anyone. He must really like you, Yuri." I blushed in embarrassment and covered my face with my hand to hide it.

"A-anyway, I look forward to what you think of it..." Yuri said as she sat down on her desk and pulled out another book from her bag and began reading.

I turned my attention to Sayori, who was looking at me with a bright smile on her face.

' _What?_ ' I signed.

"I'm just really happy that you're trying your best to be a part of the club." She said. I shrugged.

' _I do try my best when it's about you. But it's really hard to try and talk to people again. It's terribly exhausting._ '

"Even though you can't speak?" She asked jokingly.

' _You try typing every little thing you want to say._ ' I signed, holding my wrists for emphasis with a mock-tired expression on my face`. Anyone who doesn't know me would think that I was complaining, but Sayori knows me too well that I was joking. She lightly pushes me in response.

"Don't be such a crybaby, Mallory," Sayori said. I chuckled as I raised my hands in surrender.

' _Alright, alright I'll quit. But seriously, how can you stand talking to people for long periods?_ ' I signed. Sayori smiles.

"Just talk to them. Don't worry about me, okay? We both know that deep down, you're not really selfish at all. Trying new things like this for other people... That's something that only really good people do!" I smiled and gave her a quick hug.

' _Thanks, Sayori._ ' I signed.

"And I'm gonna make sure you have lots of fun here, okay?" She said. "That will be my way of thanking you." She began to leave and walk towards Monika while I took a seat next to begin reading Yuri's book.

* * *

 **I apologize for not updating sooner. February and March were filled with school activities and I graduated High School this early April so I had free time until June, where I will be attending college. I hope that you enjoy this new chapter, and I apologize once for the delay of this chapter. I hope to see you again.**

 **-Mallory**


	5. Act IV: Take Care

**Act IV: Take Care**

 _The class bell rung, signaling the class' recess time. A wave of young, excited children rushed out of the classroom, eager to play outside. As the last of the children left the room, only I and the teacher remained. Standing up, I walked towards the bookshelves to pick a book to read._

 _Of the two rows of books, I settled on The Little Mermaid, a story about a mermaid who found love, but his heart belonged to another. In her grief, she killed herself and let the love of her life go._

 _I have read this book several times, now, and I will probably continue reading it until new books were placed there. I sat down on my chair and began to read it once more._

 _"Aren't you going out for recess?" I hear someone ask. I looked and saw a young girl with a red hairband that kept her strawberry blonde hair out of her face. Her eyes were a bright blue, the brightest I've ever seen in my life. Her clothes were a pink shirt with flowery designs and blue shorts that go down below her knee._

 _"No." I spoke quietly, almost like a whisper. I turned back to the book I was reading about._

 _"Why?"_

 _"No one plays with me." I continued to read._

 _"Why?"_

 _"No one likes me."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"They think I'm weird."_

 _"Oh." She said and left. I return to reading my book and was beginning to feel a bit drowsy. I closed the book._

 _"Watcha reading?"_

 _I jumped a little at my seat. Turning to my right, I saw the same girl again with a huge smile on her face. Taking a deep breath, I showed her the cover of the book._

 _"Ooh, The Little Mermaid? I love the movie!" She said, sitting down on the chair beside me. "Can I borrow it?" She asked. I pushed the book to her and she opened up the book and began to read. A few minutes later, she was crying her eyes out._

 _"Why did the Little Mermaid not get the Prince Charming? This isn't how the movie ended! This is so sad!" She continued bawling. I looked at the teacher who was ignoring the two of us in the room in favor of her phone._

 _"That's how the Little Mermaid always ended." I said._

 _"No, it's not!" She exclaimed. "The Little Mermaid ended with The Prince Charming killing the wicked sea-witch with his boat and the Little Mermaid lived happily ever after with the Prince Charming!" I raised an eyebrow._

 _"I've never heard of that ending before." I said._

 _"How could you not see The Little Mermaid before? Everyone knows that story!" The girl exclaimed._

 _"I don't." The girl looks at me with wide eyes._

 _"You have to see it, then!" She said. "You'd really love it!"_

* * *

Closing the book Yuri gave me, I had finished the first chapter of the book. So far, the book seems to set up the world around the character, whose name was Mina. I can see why Yuri seemed to like the book and I will continue to read it tonight after dinner.

Though reading the book was certainly entertaining, it also left me a little drowsy. I closed my eyes and ended up listening to Sayori conversing with Monika.

"We're probably gonna be really lame compared to the other clubs, though..." Sayori said. Monika was deep in thought.

"Well, we can't give up." I hear Monika say. "The school festival is coming up, and it's our chance to show what literature is all about."

"The problem is that the idea of a Literature Club sounds too deep and intellectual. But it's not like that at all! We just need a way to show that to everyone else. Something that speaks to their creative mind..."

The two became silent until I hear Sayori speak up.

"That won't solve the problem, though" I hear her say.

"Huh?"

"Even if we come up with the most fun thing ever, nobody will be interested if it's a literature event." Sayori said. " So it's more important to figure out how we'll get people to come here before we could do something to their creative minds."

I hummed in thought. Sayori seems to be taking this seriously. It's rare to see her like this.

"That's a good point, Sayori." Said Monika. "In that case, do you think food will do the trick?"

"What kind?!" Sayori exclaimed. I chuckled to myself.

"Ah... Well, I guess we could—"

"Cupcakes!" Sayori exclaimed. Monika chuckled.

"Good thinking. Natsuki would love to do that." She said.

"You're right!" Said Sayori. "Natsuki makes the best cupcakes! That would work out perfectly!"

"That wasn't why you suggested it?"

Sayori chuckled nervously. "Cupcakes speak to my creative tummy." She said.

I smiled to myself. In the end, Sayori was still just the same. And there lies the reason I admire her so much. Unlike me, who is afraid of putting myself forward, Sayori charges in with nary a care. This attitude resulted in every person she meets charmed by her warm personality. I could only wish to see what she could see...

I opened my eyes to see another pair of bright blue eyes staring back at me. I smiled and sat up straight on my chair.

" _Hey._ " I signed.

"Hello." She smiled before crossing her arms and pout. "Did you have a nice nap?"

I chuckled. " _Wasn't napping. Resting my eyes._ "

"It's the same!" She exclaimed. "You've been staying up again, haven't you?" I shrugged. "Now that you're in a club, You should have less extra time at night to do anything!"

" _You're the boss, Sayori._ " I signed. " _You always take care of me._ "

Sayori bashfully smiled. "That's what I do best."

" _And that's a problem._ "

"Huh?" She asked.

" _You're too busy taking care of me, but what about you? You focus too much on me to take care of yourself._ " I signed. " _Tell me, when was the last time you woke up on time?_ "

"... It's a secret." Sayori said after a few seconds. I stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "C'mon... At least give me the benefit of the doubt." I just shook my head.

" _Sayori, it's written all over you._ "

"Eh?" Sayori glances around herself. "How is it written all over me?"

" _You were clearly in a rush this morning._ " I pointed at her messy hair. She absentmindedly starts brushing her hair with her fingers. Realizing I would have to fix her up, I began writing on my notebook, listing off everything that was very noticeable on Sayori's person. After finishing what I wrote, I showed the notebook to Sayori and pulled out a small, collapsible hairbrush from my bag and began brushing her hair, carefully pulling out the knots in her hair and fixed up her bow so that it looks presentable.

"But nobody would ever notice any of that!" She exclaimed. I continued to fix her up, buttoning her blazer.

She suddenly chuckled, catching my attention. I gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing, I was just thinking how weird it is to have a friend who have this kinds of things." She said. I gave her a raised eyebrow and stopped buttoning her blazer for a second.

" _Sayori, we grew up together. I've been taking care of you since we were six._ " I signed.

"I know... But it's okay though. I'm happy we're like this. Aren't you?" I shrugged, giving her a small smile before going back to button her blazer.

"H-hey, be careful." Sayori said as I struggled to button her blazer on her chest area. "The button might come off." I nodded before trying again to close the button. After a few more tries, I finally called it quits.

" _Does this thing fit you properly?_ " I asked her. Sayori smiled sheepishly.

"It did when I bought it." I sighed. Then I noticed Sayori smiling brightly. " _What are you smiling about?_ "

"It just means my boobs got bigger again!" She exclaimed. Alarmed, I looked around to see if anyone was looking at us. In the corner, I could see Natsuki looking a little angry while reading her manga. I quickly looked at Sayori, I quickly shushed her, all the while she was chuckling at me. I sighed and looked at her up and down.

" _There, you look much more presentable now._ " I signed. Sayori meanwhile looked uncomfortable.

"But it's so stuffy." She said. "It's not worth it at all!" She hastily unbuttons her blazer and sighs in comfort. "Much better..." Sayori puts her arms out and twirls around in place.

"Maybe now that I look unpresentable, I won't get any more love letters in my locker every so often." She said. I raised an eyebrow.

" _Sayori, everyone here loves you._ " I signed. " _Hell, even the guys at my class kept asking my permission to try and date you. No matter what you look like, guys will want to date you._ "

"But if I had a boyfriend, he wouldn't let you do things you'd do for me." Sayori said. "And you take care of me better than anyone else. So that's why I'll keep looking on how I usually look." She smiled brightly, as if she had won a prize.

I rolled my eyes. " _Just please focus on waking up a little earlier._ "

"Only if you focus on going to bed earlier."

I shifted and put my hand forward. She took my hand and we both shook on it, sealing the deal. Sayori chuckled.

"I guess we're better on taking care of each other than taking care of ourselves." She remarked. I smiled at her. "So maybe you should come wake me up in the morning!" I immediately frowned at her, to which she pouts.

"Aw come on! I was joking that time!" She moaned.

"Okay, everyone!" We both heard Monika say. "Why don't we all share the poems we wrote now?"

My thoughts immediately went back to what I wrote. Looking back at it, a small heat rushed to my face. I was very nervous. I had never written a poem before, and I feel embarrassed to show it to everyone.

"Yay!" Sayori exclaimed beside me. "I can't wait to read yours, Mallory!"

My cheek got hotter as I realized Sayori was going to read it. Sayori began to trot off to retrieve her poem.

Shit, this is going to be embarrassing...

* * *

 **Hey guys... Long time, no see? Sorry for the long wait... I had to adjust to college life... I didn't got to go to the course that I wanted, so that sucks... But I did InfoTech as a major before switching this year to Computer Engineering...**

 **So yeah, I'm very sorry for the long wait, and I'll try to update as soon as I can.**

 **I hope to see you again**

 **-Mallory**


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